Where does “preferably” come from?
Preferably comes from French préférable, combining the Middle French verb preferer with the French suffix -able, ultimately derived from Latin -abilis and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
preferably (English): In preference; by choice; in a preferable manner
Definitions
- In preference; by choice; in a preferable manner
Ancestry of “preferably”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 2 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 3 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 4 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 5 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |